


Static

by Themellowfellow



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Ackerman Bond, Angst, Anime Spoilers, Badass Female Lead, Banter, Canon Levi Ackerman relationship, Canon-Typical Violence, Dimension Cannon, Emotionally Repressed, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff, Gore, I DONT MAKE THE RULES, Light Dom/sub, Military Police, Non-cannon characters, Non-canon family bloodline, Original Character(s), POV Female Character, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, Smut, Some Humor, Sub Levi, Violence, mature content, switch - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:47:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29516925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Themellowfellow/pseuds/Themellowfellow
Summary: After an incident that wiped out her entire squad, Liv decided it was time for a change and leaves the Military Police for the Scouts.Being a skilled soldier, the best she had ever hoped for is a few measly titan kills and maybe a valiant death.But when she is put on Captain Levi's Special Operations Squad, she ends up getting much more than what she bargained for.
Relationships: Levi Ackerman & Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 14





	1. The First Mission

**Author's Note:**

> Spoiler warning: this book will follow along with the event in the canon anime and contains spoilers up to season 3.
> 
> This was originally a Levi x Reader fan-fiction, but I found it difficult to read with all the (Y/N) and other self-inserting titles, so I've changed that. But because of this, there might be a few grammar mistakes, so I ask that you kindly ignore those.
> 
> On another note, this is a slow burn Levi x OC fan-fiction. I want my readers to be well-done steaks by the time we've gotten to the juicy stuff, so stick around if that interests you.
> 
> Another spoiler warning: the first chapter starts off around chapter 23 in the manga, called "The Female Titan" so if you haven't caught up to there by now, I don't suggest you read this.

"You would like to withdraw from the Military Police and join the Survey Corps?" My commanding officer, Nile Dawk asked, his face twisted in disbelief.

"Yes, sir," I replied curtly.

"May I ask why?" He questioned.

"I no longer feel the need to remain in the Military Police and my skills would be of more use in the Scouts, sir." Was my rehearsed reply.

"I'm not arguing that." He was quiet for a moment before continuing, this time with more caution. "This wouldn't have anything to do with what happened to your squad recently, would it?"

The question caught me off guard and I had to force myself not to react, only slowly raising my gaze to make direct eye contact with my superior.

After a moment he let out a sigh. "I'll see to it that you get transferred... on one condition."

"Sir?" I questioned.

"Don't purposefully get yourself killed out there." He said, his voice now much more gentle.

The Commander had always been soft on me, treating me like I was his daughter. I didn't mind, of course, the relationship allowed me access to better equipment and gear for missions. Also, I was lacking a father figure in my life.

I nodded my head at him, "of course sir, it was never my intention."

\--- --- — --- ---

"Your first mission as an official member of the scouts is to go the former headquarters of the Survey Corps and join up with Captain Levi's group." My former Commanding officer paused to look back at my face. "Your task is to watch over Eren Yeager and ensure he does not pose a threat to humanity."

I couldn't hold back a surprised expression and the Commander laughed lightly in response. "Yes, I know it's hard to believe your first mission and you'll be working with  _ the  _ Captain Levi, although he hand-picked the rest of his crew I was able to pull some strings and-"

"Pardon sir, but I was more curious about the babysitting-a-human-who-can-transform-into-a-titan-part." I interrupted.

"Oh." He seemed disappointed by my response. "Well you see, Ms. Bowes I've made sure Captain Levi is aware of your.. situation with the recent court case and the higher-ups " He paused, inspecting my face, seeming to expect an outburst of some sort, before continuing. "They still don't seem to like the idea of letting you roam free, so having Levi Ackerman watch over you is your best option."

So they wanted to keep an eye on me. I held back an annoyed huff. With my recent actions, it was understandable but that didn't stop me from feeling frustrated at the fact I had to be watched over like some disobedient toddler. I was a grown woman, and a previously high-ranked section commander, at that.

"I understand the concern, though after all these years I'm hurt that they trust me so little." I let out a despondent sigh.

He laughed lightly at my response. "Yes, personally, with your combat skills alone I would trust you with my life, and while I think you joining the Survey Corps is for the best -"He pauses, "The higher-ups won't like not being able to keep you under lock and key." He gave me a knowing look.

I nodded in understanding. My recent behavior had upset a lot of people within the Military Police. It hurt to watch the people who once looked at me with such hope and admiration in their eyes, now regard me only with either fear or disgust. After six years of making my way up in the ranks of the Military Police, it was time for a change.

I heard him let out a sigh before he got up from his seat and approached me, placing a warm hand on my shoulder. "I'll miss having you around, Miss Bowes, make sure to come back in one piece."

I tilted my head back to look up at him, offering him a warm smile. "Of course, sir."

—

When I arrived with my group I was surprised to see the former Scouts building was quite run down. The entire building was covered in vines and other greenery, the bricks were cracked and had faded in color. Outside of the structure, there were large groups of people surrounding what seemed to be.. titan body's steaming inside of tents?

What the hell is going on around here?

After eavesdropping a bit I discovered someone had killed Squad Commander Hange's experiments without permission and now everyone's gear had to be checked to help identify the culprit. Luckily my group had just arrived together and were all cleared, having been each other's alibis.

It wasn't until later that I overheard news that the culprit was never identified.

Later in the day I briefly stopped by the introduction to the survey corps, listening in on Commander Erwin's plans to travel into the Shiganshina District.

The following day I was instructed to finally meet up with my new team before we were to head out on our mission.

Upon arrival, I was introduced to the other members of Squad Levi. The team consisted of second-in-command Eld Jinn, and soldiers Oluo Bozado, Gunther Schultz, and Petra Ral.

"This is Liv Bowes, as of today she is officially apart of the Levi squad and will be joining us on our mission to travel into the Shiganshina District today." Eld was the one to introduce me.

"It is nice to meet all of you, and I look forward to working with you." I kept my tone light and a pleasant smile on my face. Although I didn't plan on getting close to any of them, I still wanted to keep things amicable between the rest of the team and myself.

"Likewise, it's nice to have another girl on the team." Petra was the first to perk up and respond, giving me a genuine smile in return.

Oluo approached me and gave me a not-so-gentle clap on the back of my right shoulder. "Yes, welcome to the team Levi, all of us skilled soldiers were handpicked to be apart of the Special Operations Squad. Well, all except... you." His tone was condescending and teasing.

I shrugged his hand off my shoulder and turned my body to face him somewhat. "What's your point?" I asked, keeping my tone as neutral as possible.

I could feel my temper tick slightly at his tone. But I knew I had to keep myself in check, this was my first mission, after all, I can't screw this up by getting into a fight with one of my squad members.

"Oh... nothing, just that I've got thirty-nine solo and nine team titan kills under my belt and worked hard to get here, whereas you've been in working in the MP, doing nothing but sit on your ass all day and somehow we've ended up in the same place." He was closer now, I could almost feel his breath on my face.

If only he knew. The horrible things I had done whilst in the military police. The amount of hard work and effort I had put forth only to be rewarded with copious amounts of grief. The blood that stained my hands and the horrors that plagued my dreams at night. I had paid a high price to get where I was in life. 

"I think that says more about you than me, don't you think?" I took a step back, not liking his proximity.

Olou made an offended sound before sucking in a breath and was probably moments away from an outburst when Gunther chimed in.

"Olou, stop trying to pick a fight, we're all skilled soldiers here, though Liv doesn't have as much experience with Titans as we do, she still graduated from cadet training at the top of her class, is a former section commander, and is a valuable asset to our team." He reasoned.

Olou looked taken aback by his words, glancing at me for a second, in which I took the chance to give him an overly sweet smile. He then responded by tsking and waving his hand dismissively. "Whatever, one look at Titans up close and you'll be running for the hills."

"Well, at least she won't soil her pants on her first expedition." Eld cheekily jumped in.

Olou scoffed and looked thoroughly embarrassed at his words, his cheeks and the tips of his ears growing redder by the second. Before he could add anything we all turned to a new voice.

"Oui, all of you, get your asses saddled up, we're leaving now."

Before I even looked at him I felt a harsh shock jolt through my chest, startling me momentarily before I turned fully to look at him.

I had to force myself not to do a double-take, his short stature taking me off guard for some who is regarded as "humanity's strongest," but one look at his eyes and I knew he was indeed _ the _ Captain Levi everyone looked up to. All it takes is just one glance to figure out he was a force to be reckoned with. His eyes were a cold grey and had deep-set bags resting under them. His hair was dark and hung slightly in front of his eyes. When he walked and the momentum pushed his hair back I noticed it was buzzed underneath. The style was clean and well kept. Although he was easy on the eyes, the air around him hummed with hostility, making him seem very unapproachable.

My eyes then shifted to the boy behind him, the supposed Eren Yeager. At first glance, the kid didn't seem like anything special, a generic hairstyle, with an average height and built for a kid his age, but one look in his eyes and I could tell, he was a monster. Those eyes- so full of a mixture of passion and hatred. Both emotions I could only hope are targeted towards Titans and not humanity. I can't help the involuntary shudder that goes through me when our eyes meet temporarily. I am quick to turn and hop on my horse, wasting no time to get some distance between myself and the titan-shifter.

While on my horse, Levi and Eren pass by me to get to their own and I briefly make eye contact with the Captain. I nod slightly to him in greeting, in which he responds with a simple tsk and roll of his eyes.

I held back an annoyed huff at his attitude. After being in the MP for so many years I had come across a few interesting facts about "humanity strongest soldier" many of them relating to his preoccupation with cleanliness, his cold demeanor, and his blunt manner of speaking.

I wonder how so much sass can fit in such a small body.

A few hours later and we're all saddled up and ridding full speed in the center of the formation. Levi was at the front, leading our squad, Olou, Petra, and Eren were right behind him, which left me, Gunther, and Eld in the rear.

On Erwin's command, we deployed, spreading out the formation to be able to spot Titans from far in the distance.

For the most part, the ride is quiet and somewhat tense, the silence was only ever broken when Oluo decides to open his fat mouth to bicker with the others on the team. I've decided to stay out of it, staying perched upright on my horse and keeping an eye out for signal flares.

When I glanced to the right I felt myself freeze for a moment and had to do a double-take to ensure I wasn't seeing things. In the very far distance, I could see signal flares shooting up in multiple places. The right flank was already suffering. I found myself staring for a long time, wondering what hell the soldiers in that direction were probably enduring right at this moment.

However, it didn't take long for those very distant faded red signal flares to turn into very visible and nearby ones, meaning the right flank was most likely completely wiped out.

The thought sends a shiver down my spine. In the short amount of time, we've been out here, how many have already died in some horrific way? 

I'm brought out of my thought by the jarring sound of Olou's flare gun being shot, followed by the message of an approaching soldier on horseback, relaying that the right flank is completely devastated. Levi then sends Petra to relay the message to the squads to the left.

Moments after she had taken off, I take another glance to the right and feel my stomach sink at the sight.

"Black flares?!?" Erens voiced, sounding horrified. "There's an abnormal."

And it seemed to be heading directly this way. As the thought crossed my mind I heard the sound of several more flares being sent into the sky.

"Eren, you fire it off." Was Levi's command.

Eren was quick to act, pulling the gun from the side of his horse, loading it, and firing into the air.

I watched the streak of black shoot into the sky above us before facing forward again and focusing on keeping my thoughts from wandering again.

It wasn't much longer until we began approaching what seemed like a circular forest with tall, dense trees and a single pathway ahead of us.

I didn't question it as Levi lead us straight into the forest and along the path, but Eren had other thoughts.

After calling out to the Captain several times he finally responded with a somewhat annoyed, "what?"

"Sir, how are we suppose to avoid the Titans and protect the wagon when something is coming from the right?"Eren has to raise his voice over the echoing sounds of the gear being jostled and the horseshoes on the rough pavement.

"Stop your whining, look around you, these trees are perfect for vertical maneuvering gear. Use that small amount of intellect in your brain to think about it." Levi's tone is nothing short of annoyed.

I glanced around us, taking in the abnormally large trees all around us and the veil of darkness they cast over the forest. This was the perfect place for using the vertical maneuvering equipment.

Suddenly I felt a familiar shock run through my body, making me sit upright in my saddle. As I looked around at the faces of those on my squad and couldn't help the notice the confused looks on their faces.

Was no one let in on the plan here?

Slowly, the shocking feeling spreads from my chest throughout my whole body. It wasn't a painful feeling, it was just uncomfortable, my head felt light and my breaths were now coming out slower. It felt like my whole body was being pricked at with pins and needles. I fi had to describe the feeling in one word it would be something akin to static.

Before I could delve any deeper into what this feeling is the deafening sounds of large footsteps ricocheted off the trees and throughout the forest. A titan was approaching. 

"What was that noise?" Eld's unsteady voice rang out.

"It came from behind us!" Petra dreadfully responded.

We were all glancing back now, wanting to catch a glimpse at what was chasing us.

"Was is that thing on the right flank?" Eld questioned.

"All of you, draw your swords." Levis's voice was calm and collected as he stayed facing forward in his saddle, eyes not wavering from the path ahead. 

We were all quick to obey, pulling our gear from its latched position and attaching our blades efficiently.

I stared at the blades for a second, wondering if I still had what it takes to use them. It's been years since I last touched the things, back in cadet training. The branch of Military Police I had been working in tended to stick strictly to the anti-personnel equipment that used guns rather than swords.

"If that thing appears it will all be over in a flash." He finished.

It was only moments after he spoke that we were finally able to see our pursuer. Running at full speed it was a sight to behold. A fifteen-meter tall titan made mostly of exposed muscle with short blonde hair flying in the air behind it, from a distance it was hard to tell the eye color but I could make out a faint blueish hue in them.

But it did not come alone. While the others began to voice their concerns about it. I watched in silent horror as our reinforcements came up behind her, weaving through the forest trees and towards her nape with such speed I thought for sure the titan was done for. But at the last second, it grabbed onto its pursuers, taking one by the wires of their gear and the other fully in her other hand. Without slowing much, she crushed the scout in her hand and slammed the other into the nearest tree without ever turning her head away from us.

It treated them as if they were mere bugs.

It was intelligent, and in no way was it a simple abnormal. It was clearly a titan shifter, much like the Yeager boy. It was closer now and I could tell now that it was most likely a she, the feminine shape of her body was a dead giveaway.

Now that she was practically up to our rear the rest of the squad began to beg the captain for orders of some sort. To which he only told us to cover our ears as he shot off an acoustic shell.

"Is your job to give in to whatever you feel? I don't think so, this squads mission is to keep that little shit," he motions to Eren, "from getting scratched up, or at least die trying." He clarifies. "We'll depend on the horses from here, you got that?"

I took a chance to glance back and see that the Titan's eyes were trained on one person, in particular, I followed her gaze to find it to be Eren Yeager.

What could she possibly want from him?

I turned back around to face forward and ensure that I don't break step with the squad as I hear the familiar whooshing sound of ODM gear. I had to force myself not to look back as I heard the familiar sounds of bones snapping and agonizing screams of our fallen comrades.

Eren was shouting something but I tuned him out as the static feeling began to spread further, seeming to sink into my very bones. Before it had been bearable, like an annoying bird chirping at the window at the crack of dawn. But now it had evolved into a painful cracking and sizzling that ran down my spine and refused to be ignored. I felt the urge to move, to physically do something to make this feeling stop. I held tightly onto my reins as a way to prevent myself from trying anything.

This went on for a while, the growing pain throughout my body, the anguished screams of soldiers being killed behind me, the swiftly approaching titan. Despite all this, I found myself strangely calm. The static, although painful, seemed to ground me and keep me from falling back on my horse. It was a feeling I had never experienced before.

"Target is accelerating!" I heard someone shout amongst the chaos.

"Full speed ahead! We'll get away!" Levi responded.

Like the others I kept myself facing forward and chose to trust in the Captain and hope he knows what he's doing.

The titan was now on top of us, her shadows cascading over all of us. Her figure now looming, leaning as she reached an arm out, extending it towards Eren. Then all of a sudden-

"FIRE!" Commanders Erwins voice rang out.

The next second was a blur as what seemed to be a million wires shot out and pierced the flesh of the titan and attached themselves to nearby trees, leaving her stuck in her current position.

Then came Captain Levi's orders. "Tether the horses up ahead and keep Eren safe, I've got my tasks to do here. Also, take care of my horse." And with that, he took off using his ODM gear.

Glancing back at the titan, I could see she was stuck holding her hands protectively over her nape.

"Don't tell me they're going to take that titan alive?" Erens cried in disbelief.

Ulou then jumped in going on about the power of the survey corps, a conversation I decided to stay out of, having only been apart of it for a day now.

On the way ahead I realized that the static feeling I had before had completely disappeared and I was left wondering if I had imagined it all as a way to cope with my fear.


	2. The Blood of the Fallen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: This chapter contains violent themes, offensive language, and mild depictions of gore - proceed with caution.

We were now all neatly dispersed high up in the trees.

Eren was currently voicing his concerns about the plan not being made known to even the veterans of the corps. Such as the other members of the team.

I stayed away from the conversation, although I was considered a veteran myself, having more than five years under my belt, but I was new to the Survey Corps and had nothing to speak about.

I was on a high branch, my back leaned against the trunk of a thick tree, my vertical maneuvering equipment attached to it as a precaution, and my legs dangling off opposite sides of the limb was sitting on. I have my head leaned back with my eyes closed, trying to listen to the sounds of wildlife over the annoying jabbering of Oluo as he boasted about himself to the others.

I heard the zipping sound of vertical maneuvering gear followed by the heavy vibrations on my branch indicating someone had landed on it. I peeled one eye open to be greeted by a curious Petra as she leaned down and gave me a half-wave me.

"How are you holding up?" She asked, approaching me and bending down to sit. Despite only knowing her for a few hours, I could tell she was a sweet girl who cared deeply for others. It was nice of her to check up on me.

I let out a light laugh before responding. "Pretty good actually, considering the circumstances."

I flipped one leg over the branch and sat up to sit with both feet dangling off one side of the branch, allowing Petra more room to sit.

"Yeah, I'd say, my first mission wasn't nearly as intense as that, and I still didn't hold up nearly half as good as you are now." She joked, seeming somewhat embarrassed.

"To be fair this isn't the first time I've been on a mission, just the first time I've been on a mission that involved Titans." I gently nudged her with my elbow in an attempt to make her feel better.

She looked at me and seemed to come to some sort of realization. "Oh yeah! I forgot you were with the MP for a while, what did you do?" She asked.

I sucked in a breath and held tighter on the branch I was on, trying to remain somewhat composed as the more unpleasant memories began to surface. I racked my brain for an easy lie.

"I-uh, I did a lot of housekeeping for the higher-ups and minor labor for the most part, but sometimes they would-" I stopped myself, wondering briefly if I should be sharing this much information with a stranger, but continued anyway. I trusted Petra, we were a team now. "They would send me to the underground for investigations or to track down certain criminals." I finished. I wouldn't give her the details, I'd just keep things as vague as possible.

She looked taken aback by this new piece of information. "They sent you to the underground?" Her voice raised slightly and I quickly slapped a hand over her mouth and glanced over the others, only to see they were engaged in their own conversation.

I did not feel like explaining myself to Ulou and the others, Petra was the only one I trusted not to judge me too harshly.

Petra gently pushed my hand away and leaned in closer to me, whispering now. "Why did they send you of all people to the underground?" She paused for a moment before rushing out her next sentence. "I- It's not that I think you're not capable of doing what it is you do it's just weird that-"

I cut her off "it's okay, they actually only sent me because I originally lived in the underground and so I knew my way around." I waved dismissively at her shocked expression.

"So you lived in the underground when you were younger?" She asked, her hand now resting on my shoulder as she peered up at my face.

I nodded in response, "born and raised."

"Wait so there is a chance you grew up with the Captain." Her eyes seemed to light up at the realization.

I was confused by her response. "What do you mean?"

"You don't know?" She looked around before scooting impossibly closer to me. Leaning in to whisper in my ear, like we were two noble ladies gossiping. "Captain Levi also grew up in the underground, he was a notorious thug in the city's market, I figured you would've known that though, considering you lived down there."

I pondered with this information for a moment. Truthfully, it sounded like some made-up rumor. How could a lowly thug from the street of the underground grow up to become known as humanity's strongest soldier? But reflecting back to myself I knew it was entirely possible. Although I wasn't humanity's strongest by far, I was definitely considered a capable soldier regardless of my upbringing.

I shrugged in response, "it's a big city, filled with a lot of criminals and thugs, it hard to remember them all."

She nodded and leaned back, looking up through the trees and at the sky now. "I can't imagine growing up in a place like that, I guess that explains how you stayed so calm when that titan was seconds away from crushing us."

_ Flashes of mangled corpses, pale and bloodied crossed my mind. They reached out to me, tears still leaking from their unmoving eyes.  _

I shook my head in an attempt to brush the vision away. There are things in this world that are much scarier than titans.

I let out a sigh and watched my feet dangle from the limb of the tree. "Yeah, I guess I'm used to things like that now."

Our conversation was cut short by an earsplitting, inhumane scream. The sound didn't stop for a while, it was prolonged and came in waves, seeming to explode throughout the forest, shaking the trees violently in the process. I was deafened for a moment, unable to register any noise as a ringing sound echoes through my ears before fading away and returning my hearing. 

After a few moments, we all watched as Titans came scrambling through the forest towards the sound of the scream. While this was happening I felt the faint sensations of the static feeling returning only to fade out again a short while later.

Petra and I never got back to finishing our conversation as all of us were on high alert. After a bit, we were finally told to withdraw. Once we were given the signal flare we all went to meet up with Captain Levi using our ODM gear to fly through the forest.

I was focusing on dodging stray branches while maneuvering to the checkpoint when I heard a commotion behind me. I looked back to see Olou grabbing Eren by the hood of his jacket and yelling something at him, and further, behind them, I saw a Gunthers body hanging limp from the branch his gear was still connected to.

I felt my heart stop for a moment at the sight. I drew my blades and sharply turned back, the straps of the vertical maneuvering gear dug into my waist and thighs at the movement. 

Had Gunther managed to cut his neck on a sharp branch and end up like that? No. One look at the clean-cut on his nape and it was apparent that someone had cut him with a blade. But who? Had one of our squadmates turned against us? Was it the titan shifter?

I was farther ahead and wasn't able to make out what the others were shouting about, as I began to and maneuver my way back to them with the gear a sudden flash a few meters away halted me.

In the next moment, a familiar figure made an appearance. The female titan.

I was then able to put the pieces together. She managed to escape the trap somehow and blended in with the scouts by using the vertical maneuvering gear and wearing a cloak. But why would she transform here of all places?

I watched as her eyes honed in on Eren, answering my question. She was after him again. Though I still have yet to determine why.

"Damn it, I'm killing that thing right now!!" Erens angered voice was now within range.

"No, you can't." Eld interrupted "let the rest of us take her down, you head towards the checkpoint, and don't stop until you get there!" I kept maneuvering myself until I was with the group, now moving in between Eld and Eren.

"I'll fight, too." Eren persisted.

"No." I intercepted this time. "Our mission is to protect you so you need to move your ass already and let us take care of the rest." Erens eyes locked onto mine and I could see the uncertainty that they held.

"What's wrong asshole? You think we can't take that bitch down?" Ulou now joined in.

"Don't have such little faith in us, Eren," Petra added. I looked at her then, her voice was so determined and sure, but I could see the fear hanging in her eyes. 

For a moment Eren looked around, regarding all of our faces before burying ahead of us, shouting, "I believe my squad will be victorious!! Fight well!!" And he was gone, zipping ahead of us.

Then, all at once, we turned to face the female titan, darting in and dispersing around her before going on the offensive.

Although I wasn't quite use to the blades, maneuvering with the gear was something I excelled at. The feeling of flying through the air, the pushing and pulling of the material of the straps wrapped around my limbs and torso, and the strain it put on my muscles was exhilarating. 

My mind briefly flashed back to the image of Gunther's lifeless body gangling limply from the cord of his gear, yet another one of my comrades killed by this monster. She was the one responsible for so much death and pain already. She needed to die, and I preferred if she died here and now.

I observed the other's locations in the air and recognized the formation. With this information, I determined what they needed me to do without being to be told directly.

With a brief reassuring nod to Eld, I flew at the female Titans head with bone-breaking speed and sliced out her eyes. I was somewhat taken off guard at the intense heat from the steam that instantly burst from the wound, but remained focused on the task at hand. Eld made quick work of taking out her ankles while Petra and Ulou cut out both her under-arms, severing the muscles just under her shoulder blades that allowed her to hold them up.

We all pulled back simultaneously and grouped for a second, awaiting orders from Eld and watching as her arms fell to her sides, limp. Her hands were no longer covering her nape, but she had her back leaning against a nearby tree to cover it instead.

Her eyes were slowly regenerating so our time to take her out was very limited.

"Now go for the neck, if we cut the muscles that support the head we can get to the nape," Eld shouted.

He was the first to charge in, and I was quickly behind him, only seconds away from following up his attack when I noticed the Titan's right eye had already regenerated.

"Wait!" I quickly retracted my wires from in front of me, pumped out gas, and shot my grapples out to the side to force myself to go in the opposite direction, I reached out to stop Eld, but it was too late.

I watched in slow motion as the titan turned her head just in time to bite into his body, his blood spraying everywhere, I felt it land on my face and hair, it was still warm and slick as it rained down on me.

I was quick to react once I noticed her attention had then shifted to me, Her piercing blue eyes locking onto my form. I quickly pulled the trigger on my blades to start pulling me away from her to try and get some distance, my heart now raced as I made direct eye contact with her one regenerated eye.

When she was only inches away I swung my blade at her face, aiming for her eye, but she pulled back and my blade instead cut through the skin of her cheek, leaving a deep mark that didn't regenerate right away. It was then that I realized what exactly she had done. She had focused all her energy on healing her one eye so that she could protect herself from our attacks. She was much more intelligent than I had originally anticipated.

I then decided to try and get some distance between us and allow myself and the others some time to come up with a plan.

However, the female titan wasn't having it as she jumped into the air, her mouth wide open before she clamped down on my wire and violently swung her head to the side and released, causing me to go hurling into the nearest tree.

On impact, I felt something in my neck snap and everything quickly faded to black.

\--- — ---

I woke an increasingly familiar pain of shockwaves running through my body. My neck in particular was aching. My eyes were still closed and I could feel I was still lying on the ground somewhere.

Though it was hard to breathe, it felt like there was a cloth of some sort encasing my entire body, suffocating me.

Where was I?

Then it all came back to me.

_ The mission, the female titan, the screams of my teammates as they were crushed to death. _

My thoughts come to a halt as the sounds of footsteps approaching me could be heard. The footsteps suddenly stopped mere inches away from me yet I found myself unable to respond I'm any sort of way. Everything was still somewhat hazy like I was still stuck in a dream.

I heard the rustling of cloth and it wasn't until I felt the faintest touch against my coat pocket that my hand reflexively shot out to grab the offending hand by the wrist. Only then did I start to regain feeling in my body again.

"What the hell?" A distantly familiar voice questioned, seeming alarmed. I felt the hand pull away from my grip and I let my own fall back down to the ground, still somewhat weak.

I was finally able to open my eyes to see a white cloth obscuring my vision, only to be replaced by a blinding light in the next second as that cloth was ripped away. I let out a groan of protest and shut my eyes tightly.

"You're alive?" The question was a whisper. I turned my head away from the light and huffed.

"What a stupid fucking question, how could I answer if I was dead?" My voice was slightly raspy and strained from lack of use. My head felt light and my thoughts were still somewhat scrambled. The world around me was a haze.

Once feeling in my lower body returned I tried to get up only to find myself tied down. I then began to struggle with my restraints, reaching my free hand up to fiddle with the rope that was binding me.

I made quick work of it and was finally able to rip it off me in an instant and force myself to quickly sit up in the next. I cried out at the crippling pain the stemmed from the back of my neck.

"Holy shit!" A new voice cut it, the source coming directly from my left, causing me to jump slightly as I didn't even hear them approach.

I finally pried my eyes open to see an unfamiliar face to my left and Captain Levi to my right. I then looked down to find that I wasn't wrapped up in any old cloth, I was wrapped in a body bag.

"This is strange I thought for sure you were dead, I checked your pulse and everything." The stranger to my left reached a hand out to my neck as if to check again, to which I quickly responded by slapping his hand away and placing my own at the back of my neck where the source of pain still resided.

I then turned my head to the side sharply, causing it to pop with a satisfying, cracking noise. Almost instantly the pain faded away.

The person to my left jumped in fright while Levi seemed unfazed.

"I'm guessing that's why I'm in a body bag, then?" I questioned. I then placed my hand on the ground beside me, preparing myself to try to get up, despite my sore body screaming its protests at me. Meanwhile, the stranger to my left was frantically writing down notes on his clipboard, the sound of the pencil against the paper was obnoxiously loud. 

"Yes, we thought for sure you were dead." The stranger had a confused look on his face while Levi sat still watching me with a blank expression.

I then lunged forward in an attempt to get up which imminently resulted in Levi grabbing my shoulders and pushing me back into my original position, sitting straight up. This caused a wave of dizziness to wash over me.

"Sit down for a second, you just came back seemingly from the dead, take it easy, damnit." Levi scolded me.

I simply nodded in response, still somewhat disorientated.

Levi let out an annoyed huff and went to get up and walk away but I quickly reached out to him, my fingers loosely grabbing around his pantleg. He stopped and turned to look down at me, then.

"What about the others?" I asked, now releasing my hold on him. "I know Gunther and Eld didn't make it, but.." I trailed off, looking up to him for an answer.

He simply shook his head in response, before walking away. "Fuck," I swore quietly under my breath and violently turned my head away in shame.

_ Gunshots echoed around me, their screams replayed over and over in my head, their faces contorted in pain as they reached out to me, crying for help. They had all died and yet I had survived, somehow. _

It happened again.

After a few moments, I realized I was not alone and turned to the stranger still sitting next to me and asked them, "do you need something?" I hadn't meant for my voice to come out so sharp, but my previous train of thought had soured my mood significantly.

"N-no I sh-should go help the others." He quickly scampered off and I was quick to notice his change in attitude.

He was scared of me.

I tried not to think about it too much as I began to slowly move my body and force myself off the body bag and onto the nearby grass, staying there for a moment to observe a small baby spider wander through the medium blades of grass. Oh to be a mere insect living a simple, ignorant life. After a few moments, I finally managed to carefully pull myself up off the ground.

I took a second to scan my surroundings and found that I was in one of the hundreds of body bags all laid out in rows to my left and right.

I frowned at the sight and felt a pull on the skin of my face. I reached my hand up to touch it and felt something dried and hardened onto the skin under my eye and down my neck. I pulled my hand away and stared down in shock at the dark blood that coated my hand.

I was confused for a moment before I remembered.

Eld had been eaten right before my eyes, mere inches away from me, and his blood now covered me.

I faintly registered footsteps coming from my right before a flash of white crossed my vision as something light hit me square in the face.

I was quick to catch the object before it fell and inspected it in my hand. It was a pale handkerchief. I looked to my right to find Captain Levi standing there with his arms crossed staring at me.

"Clean yourself up, you look disgusting." He motioned to my face with his hand.

I rolled my eyes before doing as he asked and using the handkerchief to harshly scrub away the blood of my former teammate.

I turned to hand him back the handkerchief only to find that he was already walking away from me.

He turned his head to the side, stopping for just a moment to speak.

"After you finish that, help the others get these bodies onto the carts, and don't bother me until we need to depart." And then he was off again.


	3. The Dead Live On

I ended up helping two new recruits like me named Armin and Jean as they loaded countless bodies onto carts. Once that was done they helped me fetch a spare horse to ride back to the walls and to find new ODM gear since mine was stripped off my not-so-dead body.  
"So you're part of the special operations squad." Armin kept light conversation as he curiously glanced up at me.  
"Well, I was, but I don't know anymore, there is hardly a squad left after today." I fiddled with the bridle on my newly acquired horse before reaching over and gently patting the side of its face. It stirred slightly, pulling away as if it was not used to any sort of affection. A frown tugged down at my lips at the thought.  
"I'm sorry to hear that, it must've been hard to lose all your teammates like that." His voice was very genuine and caring.   
I turned towards him and offered him a weak smile. Although I only knew them briefly, I had grown fond of the Levi squad members. Although I did a good job at hiding it, I wanted so desperately to belong in that group, to have those close bonds with others again. I knew I would lose them eventually, but I didn't expect it to be so soon. The mortality rate in the Survey Corps was no joke.  
"It's nothing new, the world can be quite cruel sometimes... of course I'm sure you two already know that." I leaned against my horse and I reached up higher to pet its mane affectionately. This time, it didn't stir or tense at my touch.  
"Yeah.." Armin trailed off, I glanced at him to find him staring at the ground seeming lost in thought.  
"Well, at least we still have the titan-shifter boy," I added, wanting to change the subject.  
Armin immediately perked up at the mention of him. "You mean Eren?"He asked facing me again and fiddling absentmindedly with the bandage wrapped around his forehead.   
"Yeah, that's the one. You sound like you know him personally." I responded.  
"Yeah, I grew up with him." He nodded enthusiastically. I then turned to face him fully, now studying him. His head was facing down as he innocently dragged his boot across the grass in front of him, observing the insects that hid beneath the pale turf. He seemed like a good kid.  
"I've only been apart of the scouts for a short time and I don't know much, so can you tell me, what kind of person is he?" I unconsciously tiled my head to the side, taking a small step in his direction.  
"He's a suicidal maniac, but he's not an enemy to humanity if that's what you're trying to ask." Jean, who had just come back from reporting to his commanding officer, jumped in. I couldn't help but notice the slight annoyance win his voice at the mention of the Yeager boy. I let out a sigh and flashed them both a relieved smile.   
"That's good to hear." Our conversation was cut short when we were informed that it was time to depart.  
I quickly jumped onto my house and waved farewell to the two boys before going to meet up with Captain Levi. I found him talking to Commander Erwin, he had an annoyed look on his face as he talked, most likely about something stupid a cadet did. When he saw me approaching he discreetly nodded his head towards a wagon, which I assumed he wanted me to stay by and guard on the way back.   
I approached it and curiously peered down inside to see the boy, Eren Yeager, wounded, but sleeping soundlessly. There was another girl stationed on the other side of the wagon, she had jet black hair that gently brushed her shoulders and dark blue eyes. She wore a faded red scarf around her neck.   
Mikasa Ackerman.   
I knew the name as she was highly talked about when she was still a cadet in training. Her skills are nothing short of excellent and she was wanted among the Military Police. We made brief eye contact and I gave her a friendly wave, to which she responds with a polite nod. After a few more minutes the squadron was given the signal to move forward again.   
For the most part, the ride back was going smoothly until two recruits came speeding along, shouting loudly with two Titans chasing them.   
I looked a little closer and noticed the dead body one was carrying on the back of his horse and groaned aloud at the sight. They had gone back into the forest to retrieve their dead friend's body. While I understood the sentiment, this action has now put the whole squadron at risk.  
My fears were confirmed as I looked back and noticed a dozen more titans approaching, having been attracted by the ruckus of the other titans and the squalling of the scouts they chased.  
These Titans were the type that moved quickly and were able to keep up with the horses and were now getting too close for comfort. Several signal flares had already been shot throughout the unit and things weren't looking good. Mikasa had split already, jumping into action and going to help some recruit who had gotten himself in the hands of a titan.   
It was then that I felt the familiar shocking sensation begin to course through my body again. I took a glance around to find a titan gaining speed on the wagon Captain Levi was guarding. I tugged on the reins to my horse and made my way over to where he was and happened to overhear what he was saying.  
"Just abandon the bodies, they'll reach us otherwise." He commanded. I felt my heart tug at his words. Sure, the dead might not care about what happens to their bodies, but the families that are still living do. These bodies were their closure. I looked back at the titan which was steadily gaining ground between itself and the cart. I then looked down at my blades and sighed remorsefully. How I wished I had my guns at this moment.   
I then glanced at the flare gun in my holster and an idea popped into my head. I grabbed the gun and began to load it with the first shell I could find.  
This would have to do.  
I pulled back on the reins of my horse, causing it to slow as I began to pull into the rear of the platoon and line myself up with the approaching titan. "Hey, brat where the hell do you think you're going?" Levi's voice cut across the field, but I ignored him, twisting around in my saddle to face the titan.  
There was a reason I was ranked number one in my class, while I had gained a lot of points from being efficient with the ODM gear, what I truly excelled in, was sharp-shooting.   
My hand was steady as I raised the gun up toward the Titan's head, I took in a deep breath. I noted wind blowing to my right and the angle between me and the titan, calculating where exactly to point and hold my gun. When using a flare gun like this, it's nearly impossible to hit targets accurately. I needed to take my time to line up this shot correctly. The titan was close now, only ten or so meters away, it stomping violently on the ground as it ran, reaching an hand out in my direction, a unerving smile carved onto it face.  
I vaguely registered Levi's sharp voice shouting curses at me, but I paid him no mind. I exhaled and finally pulled the trigger, watching the green flare fire loose from the gun and straight into the titan's left eye socket, steam quickly rushed out from the spot. I quickly reloaded the gun before repeating the process and hitting the right eye. I watched in satisfaction as the titan tripped over its legs and fell, disappearing into the distance as we got away.  
"That's some aim you got there, cadet, but how long can you keep it up for?" Levi was now riding next to me, motioning to the dozens of Titans still chasing the squadron.  
I vaguely noticed the tendrils of shocks running through my body, calming me somewhat. "Till I run out of shells," I stated, reloading my gun and preparing my next shot for the nearest titan.  
"What's the point? Dead is dead, why not just let us drop the bodies and be done with it?" He pushed.  
I pulled the reins of my horse again, drifting over the right where the nearest titan was approaching one of the other wagons. Levi followed persistently. Flashes of my dead comrade's faces dance across my vision for a moment.  
"I won't fail my team again." I shot off another flare, hitting the titan in the temple, causing its body to twist and fall. Disappearing in the distance, the same as the other one.  
I heard Levi sigh before giving out the command to not drop the bodies. I was then given a surplus of shells from other soldiers. Some of the scouts tried to fire off flares at the Titans themselves, but few could land a hit.  
So the weight of keeping the Titans back mostly fell on me, it was only a few hours, but it felt like days that I spend tugging and pulling at the reins of my horse and twisting my body around, lining up the perfect shot, adjusting my aim and shooting down one titan after the other.  
It felt like forever had passed before they stopped coming.  
My body ached all over from my twisting and turning in my saddle. But the strange shocking sensation had stopped.  
After a bit, the squadron was then halted as we took some time to figure out where we were so we could reroute and head back to the walls. "Hey brat, stick by me this time." I nodded at Captain Levi's words and forced my horse to follow his. I slumped forward slightly, feeling exhausted after today's events.  
I looked up when Captain Levi hopped off his horse to give a soldier I didn't recognize a patch from a fallen soldier. He mumbled some words to the boy that caused him to burst out into tears before hopping onto his horse and taking off, with me following closely behind him.  
Shortly after we were told to depart and quickly made our way back to the safety of the walls. It was late afternoon when we finally arrived. The sun was begging to set and had cast an orange hue over the rooftops of the nearby buildings.  
I sat up straight and tried not to lash out at the mumbles and condescending remarks made by the townspeople as we passed. They grumbled about their tax dollars being wasted and how disappointing the Scouts were. How the mission and all the Scout's sacrifices were all for nothing.  
My control slipped a few times and I found myself glaring down at some of the civilians, watching as the color drained from their face and their mouths stopped moving when pinned under my gaze.  
I let out a frustrated huff and turned my head back to facing forward.  
Was this normal for the scouts to be received like this? I tsked out loud at the thought. After risking their lives to try and restore Wall Maria and help humanity and after suffering great casualties, this was their payment? I felt the hand resting on the hilt of my blade twitch at the direction of my thoughts.   
My faith in humanity was slowly dwindling away.


	4. Family Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: This chapter contains some violent themes and offensive language, proceed with caution.

**TW:** This chapter contains some violent themes and offensive language, proceed with caution.

The lights were off and the vacant house echoed with miscellaneous sounds. The frail, cracked windows shuddered when carts rolled by and the wooden pillars groaned occasionally as they struggled to keep the flimsy roof from falling in.

It was not nearly as warm and welcoming as I remembered.

After making it back from the failed mission I was called on by my former commander, Nile Dawks, for a brief meeting. He informed me that he had received message of my old home, which I currently still own, being broken into and used as what he believes to be a gang hideout.

So here I was, waiting patiently for the said intruder to waltz in at any moment.

Normally this kind of thing would be overlooked since the underground is filled with criminal activity, but it was a personal request of mine to have the place looked after in exchange for a few coins from my pocket.

I originally planned to sell the place, but never got around to it.

After receiving word of this, I was allowed the night off to investigate the matter personally, which saved Dawk the hassle of sending a whole team.

So here I sat, dressed in a black form-fitting tunic, my ODM gear equipped and my back against the nearest wall. I had also equipped my old anti-personnel gear, as I was never ordered to return it. I had it to ensure the investigation goes a bit smoother. Also because the blades weren't really my style.

I kept my eyes closed and my head back for the majority of the time, finding it painful to look around and remember the family I had lost.

My mother had died here, dragged out of her bed and shot at point-blank range in the back of the head, her body was found slumped over in the front room, only a few feet from where my brother was tied up. Unlike my mother, he was not given a quick death. He was tied up and tortured, his body was found with his fingers cut off, nails removed from them and his eyes plucked from his head. The cause of death was likely loss of blood.

I didn't see any of this I only read about it in the reports. I was gone at the time it happened, having just completed my cadet training. I had planned to have my family moved into the interior and out of the underground once I had secured a spot in the Military Police. I had worked so hard to place at the top of my class in hopes of providing a better life for them, only to have them die a few days before.

I barely remember those days. It was all a blur, after having my lifelong dream stolen out from under my feet, I was lost. My sole purpose for living had gone and I had found myself putting everything I had into simply surviving as I struggled every day with the grief.

My only relief from this pain was when I eventually became a section commander of the Military police and even had my squad appointed to me. We specialized in underground missions such as this one. Often times after a mission we would all get together and go do something. Whether it was drinking, dancing, or just sitting around and talking, we were always happy to have each other. They were one of the main reasons I chose to keep on living after losing my family. But I eventually lost them, too.

My thoughts are interrupted by the sounds of heavy boots near the front door of my house.

I was immediately alert, crouched just below the window, poised to attack at any moment when the intruder walked in.

It was hard to make out details in the darkroom, but the figure was tall, filling up the space of the room at least six feet tall and a bulky build. I stayed still, now hiding in the shadows of the nearest corner of the room, focusing on keeping my breathing as steady and quiet as possible.

I watched as the intruder pulled out the nearest dining chair, directly in front of me, and plopped down in it. They let out a groan of relief and the chair creaked in distress beneath them.

It was only once he was settled in that I finally made my presence known, standing straight and drawing one of my guns, I pointed it in his direction, aimed directly at his head, and took a single step out of the dark corner and into the faint streetlights that streamed through the window.

"Who are you?" My voice was deeper than usual and slightly raspy from it not being used in a while.

The man immediately tensed, gripping the dining table in shock, and stared up at me with a surprised face.

I felt my brows furrow together as I looked at him directly, my shadow was cast across his face and made it impossible to see, but I could make out the dark brown hair cropped at its sides and a vibrant red beard, trimmed neatly. His eyes which were a dark emerald color were currently staring into mine.

"I could ask you the same thing." His voice was a deep baritone and triggered a distant memory of mine.

"I'm the owner of this house." Was my clipped response.

The man let out a laugh at this, causing me to tense and readjust my gun aimed at his head. He then raised his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry, but I thought the place was abandoned with the state it's in, did you recently purchase the place?" He asked.

I narrowed my eyes at his response. I didn't like how calm he was or how he was now asking all the questions, but I decided to play along anyway.

"I was raised in this house, I've been the official owner for years now." I tilted my head to the side, letting some of the moonlight behind me illuminate his figure.

The man turned his head sharply up at me and looked at me with a new emotion in his eyes, one I couldn't fully decipher. "Wait. You were raised- I-" he stopped and raised his hand, reaching out to touch me. My first instinct was to twist his arm back, but I froze as I noticed the markings on his hand. "Liv?" His voice tentatively questioned.

I'm transported back in time.

_I was walking through the crowded streets of the underground, looking up at the unfamiliar faces around me, my hand tightly clenched around someone else's. I was around five years old at the time._

_Looking over at the hand I was holding I was fascinated by the strange array of scars that stemmed from their palm to the back of their hand and fingertips._

_I looked over through the crowd as a sudden commotion started, I peered through the masses to see a young boy was currently kicking and stabbing a full-grown man on the ground. I felt a jolt of electricity down my spine at the sight but was quickly pulled away by the hand wrapped around mine as they tugged me in the other direction._

_"Come, Liv. We have to get going now." The man holding my hand urged me._

_I looked up at the man with long dark hair braided back and a faintly red stubble on his neck and chin. I nodded at him. "Okay, dad."_

My gun shook violently in my hands as I stared at the hand that reached out to me. That same hand that had that intricate scar on it.

"It's you isn't it, Liv?" His hand now rested on the tip of my gun, gently pushing it away and I let him.

"Yes, Dad, it's me." He was on me faster than I could react, gripping me tightly in his arms. I found myself only awkwardly patting him on the back in response.

He then abruptly pulled away, holding me away to stare down at me. "We have a lot we need to talk about."

———

After a few minutes we were settled down, facing each other on opposite sides of the dining room table, only a few feet apart, the lights were now on, flickering weakly in the mostly vacant room.

"Liv, I know you have a lot of questions, but I need to tell you something first, something your mom had kept a secret from you for many years." He leaned forward and braced his elbows on the table. "It's something you need to know now, as it now involves your current line of work."

I raised an eyebrow at this. He knew I joined the scouts? How? Was he keeping track of me? "Okay" I responded, patiently.

So many questions popped into my head, but I put them all on standby for now.

My father had been in my life for only a short period of time. And in that time he managed to leave me with many mental scars. Although he never physically harmed me as a child, the same did not apply to my older brother, who he brutally abused when he disobeyed him.

At the time, I had rationalized this behavior, having been used to the violence of the underground, this, paired with the fact that my brother was the result of my mother's previous marriage, I was convinced that that type of behavior was normal.

Once my mother found out about this, she was quick to get rid of him, casting him out into the streets of the underground with nothing but the clothes on his back. This happened when I was around ten years old, and I hadn't seen my father since then. Truthfully, I had hoped for it to stay that way as the man was nothing but an abuser, but yet, here he was before me in the flesh.

He leaned in, giving me a questioning glance. "Now this is gonna be a lot to take in, but I need you to bear with me on this and I'll answer all your answers now."

I nodded and motioned for him to start with the flick of my hand in the air. I didn't really care much for what he had to say, Id just amuses him for now so that I could later convince him to stay the fuck away from my home.

He took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair before he began. "Your last name isn't real Bowes, it's Röndrye. You come from a bloodline specifically bioengineered to protect another nearly extinct Clan." I tried to keep my face as neutral as possible but his words had my nose scrunching up in disbelief.

"The technology to do such things came from before our people were forced into the walls and the reason your mother hid this from you and kept your last name as Bowes was to protect you from the people who plot against humanity." He rushed out.

I snorted out loud at this. Bioengineering? People who plotted against humanity? He sounded like a mad conspiracy theorist.

"You've actually lost your mind, haven't you? You can't expect me to believe this.." I stood abruptly and turned to leave. "Mom knew what was best when she threw you out all those years ago."

I had only taken one step forward when my father's hand reached out to grab mine. "Wait Liv, hear me out-" He paused for a moment, trying to collect his words together before desperately continuing. "Have you ever felt a sort of shocking feeling take over your whole body?" He must've felt me tense because he loosened his hold and continued. "It's hard to explain but it numbs your body and makes you noticeably stronger, perhaps?" He guessed.

My memory flashes back to the mission I was on recently when the female titan was only a few meters away and the shocking feeling that consumed me then. It then flashes to when I fired flares at Titans to keep them away and to all the other instances when I felt seemingly random and unexplainable shocks. These matched the description almost perfectly.

I turned back to look at him now, seeking answers as to how he knew about what exactly I was experiencing.

"It's as I thought, you've formed a Röndrye bond." He released his hold on my hand and leaned back down in his seat. He seemed much less desperate and borderline cocky now, having seen my sudden interest in the conversation.

"What does that mean?" I settled down across from him, now intrigued.

"It means you've come into contact with an Ackerman and bonded yourself to them." Was his simple response.

I reeled my head back in confusion. My mind drifts to my Captain, Levi Ackerman. What does he have to do with this?

"Is that a bad thing?" I questioned.

He shrugged. "It depends. It means that you will be forced to protect that Ackerman no matter what your mind wants. It also means that you will never be able to physically harm any Ackerman, ever." He elaborated.

I thought back on those times when I felt the strange static feeling and realized that each time, it only happened when Levi Ackerman was nearby and in possible danger. The shocks weren't a warning for me to protect myself, but for me to protect him.

"Why the Ackermans?" So many more questions popped into my mind, I didn't know where to start.

He leaned back in his chair for a second, looking thoughtful. "I'm not sure on the specifics but they are a valuable Clan of people who use to be hunted down and killed for their Heritage."

"So our bloodline was created to protect them?" I clarified.

"Correct." He affirmatively pointed at me.

"What makes them so special that they needed protecting?" I asked. I was shooting out questions left and right now.

"I'm not sure, I only know that our bloodline can only bond with descendants of theirs." He shrugged. I eyed him for a second, doubtful of his ignorance, but he seemed to be telling the truth.

"What else does this bond do?" I leaned forward in my chair, pulling my legs up against my chest, getting more comfortable.

"It also makes us very-," he paused, "death resistant?" He seemed to struggle to find the right word.

"Uh, do you care to elaborate on that?" My head twists to the side curiously.

"I mean, it's nearly impossible to kill us so long as the Ackerman we've bonded to still lives." He propped his head on top of his hand as he explained. He said it so simply as though we were discussing the weather forecast for today.

"So things like getting shot in the heart or the snapping of our necks won't kill us." I think back on all my near-death experiences and the strangeness of my survival.

It was all starting to make sense.

"No, the only known way to ensure a Röndrye's death is to either kill the Ackerman the bond is attached to or..." He trailed off.

"Or..?" I encouraged him to continue, twirling my hand in the air.

"You'd have to decapitate them, completely sever their head from the body." He finished quickly.

Holy shit.

"So things that would kill normal people can't kill us?" I asked in disbelief.

"As long as we're bonded to an Ackerman, we are almost unkillable." He nods.

I leaned back, staring at the cracked ceiling, taking in his words.

I had always had a feeling there was something weird about or different about me. There were things I was physically capable of that others weren't. Like my ODM movement abilities and my elite aim. Most things came naturally to me. Where others seemed to fail, I excelled. I had always brushed it off, thinking I had just hit the jackpot with my genetics.

However, something doesn't add up. I only met the Captain recently, yet there were times before where I had experienced the symptoms of the Röndye bond. Times where I should have died. No, there were times where I definitely did die and somehow came back.

"What's the matter?" My father questioned, having seen the sudden confusion on my face.

"Nothing, it's just that I've had these things happen to me before I'd ever met the Ackerman I believe I've bonded to," I replied, keeping my tone neutral.

"Ah, the Ackerman you're referring to is your Captain Levi, isn't it?" He questioned.

I gave him a questioning look, then. "Have you been keeping tabs on me all these years?"

He gave me a sheepish smile. "Guilty as charged." He then looked away from me. "Back to what you were saying, is it possible you had met him before then?" He asked.

I pursed my lips to get her and thought on it for a moment. Before the scouts, before the Military Police and Cadet training, where could I have met him?

Suddenly Petras's words echoed in my head.

_"He was a notorious thug in the underground"_

No way... was it possible I bonded with him when he still lived in the underground? And if so, when?

My father must have caught the look on my face and took that as a sign to continue with our conversation.

"You're taking this all relatively well but it's time I tell you why I came here." He sighed.

"You mean to my home?" I wondered.

"Yes, I knew that you, your mother, and brother all resided here."

"If you knew that, how come you never came to visit before?" The bitter part of me began to make itself known.

"Your mother wouldn't let me, she didn't want me anywhere near you." Was his cryptic response.

I couldn't help the snort that escaped me at his response. It was no surprise that she kept him away. Although my dad was terrifying in his own right, my mother was a strong woman and once she found out about his abusive behavior towards her children, he was out of the picture for good. The only way she would let him near us is over her dead body.

To me, it was obvious why he was kept away, but I'd still humor him anyways.

"Why is that?" I asked.

"I got mixed up with a bad crowd. But I want to fix things I know I messed up when I sent those guys to retrieve you all those years ago, I only told them to retrieve you and go, but when you weren't there, they took matters into their own hands and-"

"What the fuck are you talking about." I cut him off. I felt my heart rate spike and my body tense.

 _No, Liv, calm down, you might have misunderstood, just let him talk_. I told myself, but I knew that wasn't the case and I could feel the barbed claws of my pent-up rage sinking into me.

"The night your mother and brother were killed, it was me who sent those men to come to get you." He said the words slowly as if he were talking to a child who couldn't fully understand him, causing my temper to rise even more.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly dropped.

"You had mom and Erik killed?" My voice was higher pitched and light, a stark contrast to what I was feeling internally.

It felt like the water that had been boiling for so long had finally spilled over. The last threads of my self-control were snapping.

He was the reason I was alone all those years, before. He took them away from me.

I looked up at him from where I sat in the chair, I watched as he reached out trying to comfort me. He was leaning down, and trying to appear as though he felt guilty. But I could see through it. After years and years of dealing with his emotional manipulation and lies, I had learned all his tells.

The way his eyes didn't meet mine directly as he instead stared into the space between my brows. How his hand occasionally reached up to come through his beard in an attempt to hide his smirk. The way gazed at me was not that of a loving father, but that of a predator.

He held his hands up in surrender as he played the part, turning into a stuttering mess for a moment. "Liv, listen, it wasn't supposed-"

I didn't think, I just acted.

"You're dead," were the cold words that left my mouth before I launched myself across the table at him.

My vision was turning red as I swung my fist at his face, knocking him from the chair and onto the ground, his head bouncing off the wooden floors in the process. I followed him to the ground and landed on top of him awkwardly, grabbed my gun from my side, and proceeded to whip him in the side of the head with the end of it repeatedly. I would not give him the easy way out with a simple bullet to the head.

Not that that could kill either of us, apparently.

He held his hands up defensively. "Liv please, let me explain-"

I shoved my gun in his mouth to shut him up. I was sick and tired of listening to the fake concern that dripped from his voice. He looked up at me then, his eyes locking with mine, I watched as his face drained off all color with one glance at my expression. I watched as the mask slipped off his face slowly, the innocent appearance melted away and was replaced by the familiar glare that I remembered.

He then took me off guard by abruptly turning his hips, throwing me off of him, and before I could react, he had me pinned under him, one hand wrapped around the front of my neck and the other ripping the gun from my hand and tossing it to the side.

"Liv, I'm only trying to do what's best for you, please understand."

I wanted to fight him off, to reach for my gun and proceed to release all my ammunition into that empty head of his. Instead, all I could do was picture their faces, my mother's which would be frozen in fear, her mouth open in a silent scream.

My brother, still be alive, crying out in pain, with blood running from his empty eye sockets, down his cheeks.

Although the loss of them occurred long ago, the old wounds were now torn open again, exposed and vulnerable to the world. They were more skeletons in my closet. Their deaths weighed down on my shoulders along with my former squad from the Military Police and those from the Special Operations Squad.

My vision was beginning to go dark, the lack of air in my lungs was driving me close to unconsciousness, I saw their faces flashing through my mind, pale and drained of all traces of life.

More people I had failed to protect. How many more would I lose?

I felt the lone tear trickle down the side of my face. It was only then that my father released his hold on my neck, allowing me to breathe again. He climbed off me, allowing me to lean forward and gasp for much-needed air, coughing violently in the process.

After a few minutes, my coughing finally died down. It was quiet for a bit before I turned over to look up at him.

"I won't ever forgive you," I mumbled, trying not to strain my voice too much. I touched my neck gently, trying to soothe the irritated skin.

He sighed before leaning down and offering his hand to me. "I don't need your forgiveness, nor do I expect it from you."

I bristled at his tone and had to fight the urge to attack him again.

I took his hand reluctantly and let him help me up. I then wiped the hand that touched him off on my tunic in disgust. "What is it that you needed me from that you were so desperate as to send a bunch of thugs to retrieve me?" I asked, picking up my gun and securing it in its holster.

He was hesitant to respond. "At the time I wanted to have you bond to the Ackerman I've bonded to, that way I could protect you and them at the same time."

I narrowed my eyes at his voice, he was hiding something from me.

"That's all?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"No." He sighed. "I'm ashamed to admit it, but at the time I was desperate. I knew I wouldn't be able to have any more kids and I have reason to believe we're the last of our bloodline." He trailed off.

It took me a moment to process what his words entailed before a shiver of disgust ran through me.

"You wanted to keep around and make sure I kept the Röndrye bloodline going." I finished for him.

"Yes," he breathed.

Would he have forced me to have children, even if I didn't want them? Was this why my mom left him, to protect me? I glanced up at him and decided to keep my mouth shut.

Sometimes things are better kept unknown. Besides, it's not like he knew I was sterile and incapable of producing children.

I turned away from him now, "Don't bother coming back here, I want nothing to do with you."

"Wait, Liv, I-"

"Also, another thing" I cut in, standing in the doorway to the outside now. He stopped talking, standing stiffly a few feet away and looking up at me, seeming lost. "If I ever see you again, I will cut your head from your body and kill you, that is a promise," I said, before walking out the door abruptly.

He chased me outside, but it was futile as I deployed my grapples from my OMD gear, attaching them to the nearest building, and pushed out my gas, propelling me forward.

The straps pulled slightly on my sore body, but I ignored the pain along with my father's desperate calls as I made my way back to the surface.

I hated the underground.

\------

(A/N) I swear we're nearly done with Liv's backstory, after this, we'll start getting to the romance-y part I know you all are really here for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N) I swear we're nearly done with Liv's backstory, after this, we'll start getting to the romance-y part I know you all are really here for.


	5. Promotion

I wiped the blood off my face with the sleeve of my tunic as I opened the door to my dorm and flopped into my bed, stumbling slighting along the way.

It was a little past midnight and I had only just returned from the underground. 

I didn't bother to remove my gear or shoes, as soon as I hit the hard mattress I could feel my consciousness drifting away from me.

I only slept for a few hours before there was a knocking at my door, I groaned and got up, glancing at my window I could see it was still dark out.

I went to answer the door and was greeted by Fourth Squad leader Zoe Hange and her assistant Moblit standing in the doorway.

I must've looked rough, judging by the way Moblit's eyes widened as they scanned me from top to bottom.

Despite my grogginess, I forced my body to straighten and gave her a small polite bow of my head. "Squad leader Hange, what can I do for at this ungodly hour?" I asked, leaning the upper half of my body against the door frame covering my mouth as I let out a silent yawn.

"I came to retrieve you for a last-minute meeting the Commander wants to hold, I-" she was cut off by Moblit.

"But we'll let you get yourself cleaned up a bit first, come back out whenever you ready." He gently pulled Hange out of the doorway by the shoulder and shut the door along the way.

I took a minute to finally take off my equipment and stretch out my stiff body. My shoulders and spine let out multiple satisfying cracks and pops as I did so. I used a nearby water bucket to wash the filth of the underground from my exposed skin.

I then changed into a faded white, high collar button-up shirt in an attempt to hide the newly acquired bruises that wrapped around my nape like a necklace. I liked to think of them as a parting gift from my father.

After freshening up, I opened the door and stepped out into the hallways where Hange and Moblit were waiting.

Hange inspected me for a moment. "It was a good idea to have you wash up, otherwise Levi might have forced you to bathe before the meeting." She made it sound like that had actually happened to her before.

She made her way over to me and swiftly looped her arm through mine and held it tightly to her side before practically dragging me down the hallway.

I didn't fight her though, I was still exhausted and somewhat groggy and needed something to lean on. "What's the meeting about?" I asked, glancing back at Moblit who was quick to follow behind us.

"I think it has something to do with what you pulled off during the last mission." She responded, rounding the corner harshly, causing me to stumble slightly.

She stopped for a second, glancing at me before loosening her hold on my arm and continuing to our destination, slower this time.

It took me a second to realize what she was talking about. Earlier today, when I kept the Titans at bay with the signal flares. 

"Am I in some sort of trouble?" I asked.

"I doubt it." Hange stopped then, releasing her hold on my arm she grabbed me by the shoulders and looked directly at my face.

"Personally, I think what you did was absolutely genius! I wonder how you came up with such a crazy idea?" She was in my face now, her breath fanning across my face. Her eyes were alight with a mixture of curiosity and mischief.

I heard a sigh from Moblits direction. "Hange, you're too crazy sometimes, you're going to scare the poor girl." He had to practically peel her off me.

I laughed awkwardly, taking a step back and placing my hand at the back of my neck. "It's okay, I don't scare that easily," I assured him.

Moblit groaned as Hange fought out of his grip and made her way back over to me, a cheery expression on her face. "That's good to know, now come on, I think this is the room."

She pushed open a dark oak door to a rather spacious room. It had a desk facing away from the window, which was covered by translucent maroon curtains. The faint moonlight peeking through illuminated the room.

There were two sets of couches, one facing the desk and the other propped up against the right side of the room. On the left side, there was a makeshift kitchen of sorts. It had a mediocre stove and a small countertop with a few cabinets hanging above.

I plopped down onto the nearest couch and glanced around the open space, finding it to be empty.

I heard the flickering of a match before a lit lantern was set onto the desk in front of me. Hange, stood abruptly, pushing up her glasses and looking around as well. "Seems we're a bit early." She noted.

I let out a sigh and craned my neck back as I sunk into the couch a bit. I heard the clinking of a few pots and pans to my left. I glanced over to find Hange working on something in the kitchen area. Probably a drink of some sort.

I covered my eyes with my elbow in an attempt to block out the moonlight. I was nearly asleep again when I heard the door behind us open, followed by two sets of footsteps.

Finally.

I slowly removed my arm from my eyes and began to sit up when I felt someone sink into the couch in the spot next to me.

I watched from my peripheral vision as Levi leaned back, crossing one leg over the other and throwing one arm over the back of the sofa.

He glanced at me, his gaze seemed bored and uninterested, catching slightly at the discoloration around my neck.

"Rough night?" He asked.

I felt my hand subconsciously touch the back of my neck in acknowledgment. "Yeah," I shrugged under his intense gaze, letting out a sigh of relief when it turned away from me and to the figure sitting at the desk before us.

Commander Erwin sat with his hands in front of him, fingers lopped together with a passive expression adorning his face.

Hange stepped in front of us then, a kettle in one hand as she held out a teacup filled halfway to Levi.

It was then that Erwin began to speak. "We have a few things we need to discuss tonight. I figured we should get this meeting out of the way so we are prepared for whatever happens within the next few days." He stated.

Levi gave Hange a skeptical look before taking the tea wordlessly and holding it delicately in his hands for a bit, probably to let it cool before he attempted to drink it.

"First things first, Liv, the reason you were brought here is to discuss your current position in the Survey Corps." I nodded in acknowledgment, leaning forward in my seat.

Hange tried to offer me some tea, but I politely shook my head at her. Tea would only make me more drowsy right now.

She shrugged and went to pour some for the commander, who eyed her briefly before continuing. "It was thanks to you that we were able to get those bodies back to the walls and their families. This, topped with the fact that you've been apart of the Military Police for the past six years makes you significantly more trustworthy and very valuable to the Survey Corps."

I furrowed my brows together in confusion at his words. Did he not know about the recent incident that tainted my record? Surely he would look into something like that. Or was he just ignoring it?

"Captain Levi and I have already discussed this and decided to promote you to Vice Captain of the Levi squad."

I blinked wordlessly at him for a second. I was being promoted after one mission?

I could practically hear Olou turning in his grave.

"Thank you for the opportunity, sir. I won't let you down." I was quick to regain my composure and stay relatively professional.

Erwin then went on to explain the suspicions he had on who the female titan was. They believed her to be a member of the Military police.

I internally cringed at this. A titan shifter hiding among our ranks? I also thought about how my father admitted to keeping tabs on me. He had spies in the military police and likely some among the scouts, too. There were rats everywhere. 

Erwin then briefly went over the plan that involved using the supposed female titan's colleges from her cadet training and Eren to lure her underground and trap her.

From my experience, I thought the plan to be risky and maybe a bit too obvious but I kept my mouth shut and trusted that Commander Erwin knew what he was doing.

He was in the middle of discussing the details when I felt a familiar shocking feeling run down my back.

I snapped my head to the side to examine Levi, who was currently holding his tea up to his mouth, my father's words echoed in my head.

_ 'Have you ever felt a sort of shocking feeling take over your whole body?' _

_ ' It means that you will be forced to protect that Ackerman no matter what your mind wants.' _

I scanned the room, confused. What kind of danger could we possibly be in?

Levi then gave me a strange look, noticing my sudden alertness. I shrugged it off and settled back down into the couch, trying to focus on Erwin's words again.

The lack of sleep must be getting to me.

All of a sudden a violent shock ripped through me. My body acted on its own as my arm shot out and smacked the teacup from Levi's hands, sending it flying into the nearest wall and breaking into countless pieces.

I blinked, shocked by my own actions.

Before I could even begin to come up with an apology Hange was on me in a flash. She grabbed me by my shoulders and shook me with such force I thought my neck would snap again. "How could you tell? Do you have some ultra human sixth sense or something?!" She was still shaking me.

Moblit was quick to step in and grabbed both of Hange's arms, halting her assault on me. "Calm down, Section Commander!"

"How could she tell what, Hange?" Levi questioned. I was relieved to hear no apparent anger in his voice, just suspicion directed at Hange. I had just gotten promoted and didn't want to get immediately demoted because I broke one of Levi's precious teacups on the first day.

Hange then became flustered, finally backing off me, standing crookedly and clearing her throat awkwardly.

"You see, I was testing out one of my new experiments- but don't worry though- It has nothing to do with Titans." She laughed nervously. "I just wanted to see how it would affect someone of your size." She finished, tapping the tips of her shoes on the ground innocently.

"Interesting, what does this experiment entail?" Erwin questioned, resting his head in his hand which was currently propped against up on the desk, seeming invested in what was going on.

I blinked at his dismissal of her strange actions. Was this normal behavior for the section commander?

"It's a new drug I'm testing out, it's supposed to help with sleep, but it has some uh.. unfavorable side effects." She hesitated.

I sat up on the couch, readjusting the collar of my shirt which had been ruffled during Hange's assault.

"Such as?" Levi had his arms crossed as he laid back, eyeing Hange with an annoyed expression. I continued to wrestle with the collar of my shirt, before giving up as it just didn't want to sit right after Hanges's manhandling. 

"Burning feeling in the hands and feet, diarrhea, difficult keeping balance-"

"And you put this in my drink without telling me?" Was his baffled response.

"Well I knew you wouldn't agree to it-"

"Obviously, who the hell would agree to that?" He flicked his hand out in her direction, clearly annoyed by her antics.

While they bickered back and forth I was lost in my own thoughts. The bond had acted up because of the components in the tea?? Interesting. There is still so much I don't know about it.

I was surprised to see Levi didn't beat Hange to a pulp right then and there. Had it been a subordinate that pulled that, he would've done so with no hesitation.

Erwin sighed. "I think that's enough for tonight, you're all dismissed, get some rest and I'll notify you all for the next meeting regarding the operation."

I dug my hand into the armrest and practically hauled myself off the couch before following the others out the door, lagging behind.

As I made it through the doorway Hange was there waiting for me. I couldn't stop the exasperated groan that left my mouth at the sight, throwing my head back in an exaggerated manner. I was not ready to be assaulted again.

"Ah, what's the matter? Don't be like that. I thought you said it takes a lot to scare you?" She teased, walking up to me and wrapping an arm around my neck, and rustling my hair with her free hand.

"You don't scare me, you just wear me out." I shoved her off playfully.

Although she was a handful, Hange was easy to get along with and I found myself smiling at her antics. She was starting to grow on me.

"Say Liv, you gave yourself away back there." She smiled at me, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"I don't know what you mean." I raised a brow in her direction, not having a clue about the direction of her thoughts.

"Oh don't play dumb, you know what I mean. I'm talking about how you knew I did something to Captain Levi's tea. I know your secret." She teased, pointing her finger at me.

I get my heart drop. She knew I was a Röndrye? How did she know what that was when I had only found out about it today? Was she the spy my father had hired? My heart raced as I thought of all the possibilities.

How she would experiment on me, torture me to see how long I would last. How many times she would kill me just to watch me come back to life. I shuddered at the thought.

I quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her in, covering her mouth with my free hand as I looked down the hallways, letting out a breath as I noticed they were clear, no one in sight.

"How did you know?" I asked, whispering now.

Her eyes lit up, having her suspicions confirmed. "Please, you made it so obvious, especially since I had also added the same substance to Erwin's tea and you did not react in the slightest to him drinking it." She explained.

She was right, if it actually was some sixth sense like she originally thought, I would've also done something to stop Erwin from drinking his tea. Despite my fear, I was impressed at her keen eye and deduction skills.

I let out a defeated sigh and stepped back from her, realizing my grip on her hand. "So what are you going to do now?" I asked.

"Well, get you two together of course!" She clapped excitedly.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" The question left my mouth before I could stop it.

"Uh, your obvious crush on Captain Levi? That's why you were watching him so closely that you noticed the tea was off, right?" She began to walk off, smugly, towards the dorms, leaving me baffled for a moment.

She thought my actions were due to a crush I had on the Captain? I slapped a hand against my face at the thought.

Sure, I found him attractive, and since I'm bonded to him I don't have to worry about not getting attached, as the bond will kill me when he eventually dies. To top things off he is a strong man that many admire and definitely my type.

But the guy was not interested in me in the slightest, and I truly was not one for watering dead plants.

I looked up see Hange halfway down the corridor and quickly ran towards her, "Wait! Hange, you can't tell anyone about this!" I cried out, trying to seem desperate.

Unfortunately, this is the best I can do, I needed some sort of cover for my actions. 

She simply cackled and took off in a full-on sprint down the hallway, grinning maniacally back at me. "I'm gonna tell everyone!! Liv Bowes has a crush on her Captain! Liv Bowes has a crush on her Captain!" She chanted, jumping in the air enthusiastically.

Now I was actually flustered, afraid of waking the sleeping soldiers in the nearby rooms, I chased after her hushing her and yelling at her to shut up.

What I wasn't aware of, however, was the said Captain hiding around the corner we left, who had been listening in on our conversation. He waited in the dark with a hand covering his mouth, a shocked expression on his face. The tips of his ears and cheeks turning a faint red color.


	6. A Test Run

_ Their screams echoed down the vacant alley as they cried out for help but I knew very well, no one would come to save them, not in this shithole. I took the crowbar in my hand and cut off the older man's desperate cry with a harsh swing to the back of his head. _

_ I didn't stop there, I pulled my arm back fully and brought it down, again and again, each time with more force than the last. His blood splattered the sidewalk and added to my already, blood-drenched clothing. It wasn't until his head was completely bashed in, his cranium and brain exposed to the polluted air, that I was satisfied enough to move on. _

_ I heaved a shaky breath as I forced my body to keep moving, dragging the makeshift weapon in my right hand on the ground behind me. My body protested my every movement but I pushed on, seeking out the last of them. _

_ I stumbled around the corner, approaching the darkest parts of the alleyway. My chest and legs burned, the gunshot wounds I had received were bleeding severely and made it difficult to move due to the pain. But I didn't let it stop me. _

_ I was lost again, drowning in a sea of angst and anger. The only thing keeping me afloat was my desire for revenge. _

_ They had taken what little I had left and as payment, I would take their lives. Nothing would stop me. I'd paint the streets with their blood. _

_ My vision faded to white then, memories blurring together. I don't remember the details, or what the scenes looked like. I remembered the feelings though. The pain I felt from the wounds I had endured, the emptiness growing in my chest at the loss of my friends, and the blinding hatred I had for the ones who took them from me. _

_ When I finally came to I was bleeding out on the pavement, the flickering of the streetlight above me made it hard to focus. I barely register the approaching footsteps and the familiar voice of my Commanding Officer whispering under his breath, _

_ "Oh Liv, what have you done?" _

I awoke to the gentle sounds of the morning rain on the window. I sat up slowly, still dazed from my dream. I curled up in my bed for a bit longer, trying to quell the ache that had formed in my chest due to the resurfacing memories.

After a while, I forced myself out of bed and started to get ready. The memories were still fresh and replaying in my head, leaving me feeling more somber than usual. After getting dressed in my usual faded blue tunic and tight white trousers, I then put on the rest of the survey corps uniform.

When I was pulling on the jacket induced to take a glance in the mirror. I reached up and touched the discoloration around my neck, examining it. The bruises were almost gone today, I wondered briefly if my quick healing was another unspoken perk of my heritage.

I sighed, twisting my dark red curls into a neat braid that ran down the back of my head. I put on my ODM gear and switched out my guns for the standard blades. I grabbed my Survey Corp-issued cloak and made my way to the door.

I'd have to meet with Captain Levi today. It was expected of me to follow him around like a lap dog now that I was promoted to Vice-Captain of his squad.

I made my way down the hallway and a few flights of stairs, scanning the faded signs on the walls in an attempt to find my way around. The hallways were empty and quiet as no one was up yet. 

It took me a bit longer than expected to find his office, knocking on the door lightly before entering. I glanced around the well-kept room and to my right was Levi, pouring a cup of tea from an iron kettle.

He didn't bother to look up when I entered, only collecting his tea and going to his desk with a remark, "you're awfully late."

I glanced out the window at the sun that had yet to even peek over the walls. I pursed my lips to keep myself from making a snarky remark. I thought I was early.

Instead, I opted to apologize. "Sorry Sir, I got lost on my way here, the Scout dorms are set up much differently than the MP's." My excuse was somewhat valid.

He tsked at this, mumbling a "figures," under his breath before sitting down at his desk and motioning at the seat in front of him for me to sit as well.

I obeyed wordlessly, sinking down into the plush seat and crossing one leg over the other. "So, what's on the agenda for today?" I asked, trying to ignore his constant sour attitude. It was something I'd have to get used to.

"The plan is to lie low for a while, so the next few days will mostly consist of the usual routine of forcing Eren to clean every corner of the building." He took a drink from his tea before continuing, "but before that, I need to take you out for a few test runs."

I leaned forward and propped my head up on the top of my hand, much more interested now. "What kind of a test runs?" I didn't intend for my voice to come out in such a suggestive manner, but the words fell from my mouth without much thought.

Luckily, Levi just gave me a strange look before brushing it off, "Despite you being my Vice Captain, I've yet to see you in action with ODM gear or in close combat and so I want to take the time we have before the operation to change that. I need to be sure that I didn't promote an incompetent brat who hit a lucky streak with her aim."

I nodded at his words, ignoring the last part as I began to ponder the possible outcomes of hand-to-hand combat against Levi. My bond to him supposedly prevents me from harming any Ackerman. So does that mean I'm physically incapable of it? If so, how is this going to play out?

After Levi finished his tea and grabbed his ODM gear, we were headed down to the training grounds. On the way there we passed by Hange and Moblit in the hallways.

Hange didn't notice us at first, she was turned around talking excitedly to Moblit about something. It wasn't until Moblit looked up at us and gave us a polite wave that she turned to see who it was.

Her eyes flickered between the two of us before she clasped her hands together enthusiastically. "Oh? Where might you two be heading?" She asked, stopping us in the middle of the hallway.

Levi responded in his same, bored tone. "Training grounds to take this one," he points back to me, "out for a test run."

"Oho, I see." She pushed her glasses up and looked at me. "Have fun with that." She sent a not-so-subtle wink in my direction.

I could strangle her.

Luckily, Levi didn't seem to notice and waved her off, continuing down the hallway at a steady pace. I followed and turned my head back to give Hange a playful glare, which she laughed heartily at, startling poor Moblit who was oblivious to the situation.

By the time we arrived at the training grounds, the sun had begun to peak over the walls, casting a purple hue over the sky above and the ground around us.

I was surprised by the number of cadets already training this early in the morning. As we passed by, I caught a few of them looking our way, pausing in the middle of their training to blatantly stare. Their instructors weren't having it though, being swift to hit those slacking over the head with a clenched fist, before turning to look what caught their gaze.

I chalked most of the stares up to the fact that Levi was a well-known soldier that many admire. But a few times I caught the eye of some instructors who looked past Levi and to me. Their gazes were either curious or fearful.

Some didn't know me, as I was not considered a higher-up, nor did I have any sort of great feat to add to my name. But those who did were the same ones who watched as I stood trial after the incident in which my entire team was wiped.

The whole ordeal was a mess. After I had made a ruckus in the underground, killing a whole warehouse of criminals, I was put into custody as my sanity and position of power were put into question. Many people who heard the graphic details of what I had done were horrified, and rightfully so.

It was only by the miracle known as Niles Dask that I wasn't rotting in a ditch or locked away in a jail cell right now. He had been the one to stand up for me and protect me when I wasn't there to defend myself as my name was dragged through the mud.

"Alright, right here," Levi states, pulling me out of my train of thought.

I looked around at the open space, and then to Levi, who motioned for me to get in position.

"You want to start right now?" I asked, taking off my jacket and folding it in my hands. I just got the thing and I didn't plan on getting it all scuffed up.

"Why not? There's no point in wasting more time." He shrugged eyeing me as I placed my jacket on the ground nearby, out of the way. I noted that he didn't do the same, probably confident I wouldn't be able to land a hit on him, much less dirty his clothing.

The cool morning air ate at the exposed flesh of my arms. I made my way back over to Levi, standing directly in front of him. I analyzed his posture, taking note of the way he distributed most of his weight onto his right leg.

"Didn't you injure your foot not too long ago?" I asked, motioning to his leg.

"I don't see it being a problem." He curtly replied.

"Of course," I sighed. He was clearly underestimating me whilst also trying to make a dig at me. I ignored the subtle insult. I then turned and crouched slightly, pulling my arms up in front of me, with my forearms out to protect my face. A defensive position.

I felt the familiar feeling of shocks trail down my spine, the warm feeling helped slightly to starve off the morning chill. But unlike times before where the feeling was soothing and helpful by keeping my mind focused. I noticed this time it was a bit sharper like it was punishing me. Was this its way of preventing me from harming an Ackerman?

I was contemplating my thoughts when, without warning, Levi was at my side, his fist making contact with my ribs with a force that nearly knocked the breath out of me. I reacted quickly and turned just in time to catch his other fist and push against him.

Of course, he hardly budged, which resulted in me sliding away from him instead, dust kicking up in the air around my boots in the process. I jumped a few feet back, needing some distance between myself and him. He took me off guard. "how about a countdown, next time?" I asked bitterly, cradling my side and glaring up at him.

"Last I checked, your attacker won't give you a countdown." He was a blur as he lunged for me, aiming for my side again. But I was ready this time, using my forearm to block his first hit and twisting my torso to block his second, I used my free arm to shove an elbow into his chest while simultaneously swiping at the back of his knees with my left leg.

At that exact moment, I felt the static feeling crack like a whip down my spine, the pain touching every neuron in my body. It took my breath away and I hit the ground with a force, as though it had physically impacted me. In the next moment, however, the pain was gone, only a whisper in the wind, as though it had never been there.

So that was its way of preventing me from harming him.

Levi was up and wiping the dust off his pants after my attack knocked him on his ass. I recollected myself quickly, reading myself for his next assault. He didn't come for me immediately though, he looked me up and down first, his calculating eyes observing every detail. He had underestimated me and I was able to take him off guard by countering his attack.

I pulled myself into a defensive position again, this time widening my stance a bit to take a hit. I knew it was unlikely that he would hold back now.

I waited in my position for a while, ready for his next onslaught, but it didn't come. He stood there calmly, not taking up a fighting stance, he raised an eyebrow at me. "what are you waiting for brat? Come at me." He challenged.

"No thanks, I'll wait here." was my quick response. I couldn't land a hit on him without extreme pain following, I'd have to wait until an opportunity presented itself where I could demobilize him without intentionally harming him.

He pursed shrugged his shoulders, tilting his head to the side teasingly. "What? Don't tell me you're afraid to." I bristled at his words and tone. But I stayed back. While he was talking I observed the way his muscles tensed as he readied himself. He planned to take me off guard again by talking and rushing me afterward. It was a clever trick, but not one that would work on me.

Just as I predicted, he flew at me not even a second after the words finished leaving his mouth, this time rushing behind me with the intent to kick the back of my head. I ducked down in time only to catch his boot as he had swung around and attempted to kick me again while on the ground.

I used my leverage of being stable while crouched down to push against the ground, his boot still in my hand, and shove him away. He pulled his shoe from my grasp and steadied himself with ease before he could fall.

He tsked in annoyance, before relentlessly lunging at me again.

This went on for a while. Me narrowly dodging and blocking his attacks while he grew increasingly more frustrated and began to pack more of a punch. Some cadets gathered around, the instructors allowing it and using our fight as a teaching opportunity. 

Eventually, Levi got fed up with my evasiveness. He was behind me when he grabbed my hair, pulling me back and locking me in a chokehold, his arm tightly coiled around my neck. On instinct, my hands went up to his arms to stop him, but I didn't really put forth much effort to shake him off. I felt like this was a good place to end off the fight, otherwise, we would be here all day.

"Come on is that all you got? This is rather disappointing." his condescending tone brought me out of my thoughts and sparked the already fueled fire inside me.

I gripped his arm tightly with both of my hands and pushed my hips back into his. When my pelvic bone met his I squatted down slightly and, using my height to my advantage I lunged my upper body forward, flipping him over my head with much effort. The static returned again, biting into me and causing me to stumble as I jumped on top of Levi, trying to pin him down. I grabbed both his wrists with my hands, shifting my weight into them as I kept a knee on his chest.

"How's that for disappointing?" I taunted, looking down at him. My chest heaved for breath as I took a moment to try to recover from the shocking pain from just moments ago.

He looked stunned, to say the least, looking down at the position he was in and back up at me, our faces only inches apart. I swear I saw a hint of a blush coat on his cheeks before he tore one of his hands free from my grip and quickly grabbed a handful of dust from underneath us and threw it in my face, blinding me temporarily. 

On instinct, I recoiled backward and he took the chance to grab both my hands in one of his and push my upper-body forward with the other hand as my knees met the ground. "Don't get cocky, brat." He grunted in my ear. He then grabbed the back of my neck and held me in that position, pulling my arms up to the point it was starting to get painful.

I fought against him for a bit, twisting and turning in an attempt to break his hold, but he caged me in between his legs and held me with an unbreakable grip. "Alright, alright, I yield." I huffed, glaring back at him. "That was a cheap shot, anyways," I added.

"You should know to expect such attacks." He defended and released me, I was quick to jump to my feet, eager to be off the ground. I looked over at Levi who was looking at the ground and he took off his jacket and began to shake the dust off of it. I smiled triumphantly at the sight. He didn't think I could do it.

I ran over to grab my jacket off the ground and looked up to see a group of cadets had crowded around, watching our fight with excitement. I smiled and gave them a friendly wave, to which some of them cheered. Despite the fact that I had lost, I had managed to take Levi off guard, not once, but twice. I wanted to laugh at their enthusiasm when Levi pushed past me and started to make his way back.

"Come on, runt," he grunted, shoving his way past the group of kids. They eventually parted for him and Levi turned to look back at me, motioning for me to follow him.

I chased after him energetically. Suddenly giddy and overly confident with my near-victory over him. "Who are you calling runt? You realize I'm taller than you, right?" I teased as I followed closely behind him.

He didn't slow his pace and he turned his head back to glare at me. I laughed aloud at his reaction, skipping past him and towards the wagon that waited for us to take us back to the dorms. 


End file.
